Team:UIUC Illinois/Safety

From 2014.igem.org

Safety

Safety forms were approved on August 1st, 2014 by Kelly Drinkwater.

Personal Safety of Members in the Lab

Biosafety Training:

All team members were required to attend safety training focused on (1) Understanding what bloodborne pathogens are and their potential impact on your health,(2) Learning how to best protect yourself from exposure to bloodborne pathogens, and (3) Knowing what to do if you are exposed to potentially infectious material.

Known toxic chemical reagents and hazardous physical agents:

Ethidium Bromide: Since ethidium bromide is a very toxic agent. We have separate containers for tips, gels and pipettes that have the possibility to carry ethidium bromide. Gloves used in that area are changed immediately after the experiments there.
Ultraviolet Light: UV radiation is used for visualization of the stained DNA in the electrophoretic gels. We always use UV-blocking shields when visualizing electrophoretic gels in UV light. All other toxic and chemicals will be handled to avoid direct contact, and observing the proper safety procedures, additionally, all chemicals reagents and biological materials will be disposed only in the designated biohazard receptacles.

Personal Safety

Laboratory coveralls, appropriate gloves, safety googles are worn. After use, gloves should be removed aseptically and hands will then be washed.
Personnel must wash their hands after handling infectious materials and animals, and before they leave the laboratory working areas.
Safety glasses, face shields (visors) or other protective devices must be worn when it is necessary to protect the eyes and face from splashes, impacting objects and sources of artificial ultraviolet radiation.
It is prohibited to wear protective laboratory clothing outside the laboratory, e.g. in canteens, coffee rooms, offices, libraries, staff rooms and toilets.
Open-toed footwear must not be worn in laboratories.
Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics and handling contact lenses is prohibited in the laboratory working areas.
Storing human foods or drinks anywhere in the laboratory working areas is prohibited.
Protective laboratory clothing that has been used in the laboratory must not be stored in the same lockers or cupboards as street clothing.

Training the Team Underwent

Have your team members received any safety training yet?

Our team had two types of training. The first was an online training by the DRS or the Division of Research Safety. This safety training included multiple quizzes and tutorials for General Laboratory Safety and Understanding BioSafety. Additionally, our team took a synthetic biology bootcamp at the beginning of the year to cover general laboratory procedures and safety guidelines. Other safety training such as autoclaving came at another time.

Please briefly describe the topics that you learned about (or will learn about) in your safety training.

For all techniques listed, our lab required usage of gloves, goggles, lab coats, closed-toe shoes and long pants to minimize the amount of contact between us and the materials that are being used. Also, general aseptic protocols were adhered to when handling any lab techniques to prevent contamination. Our lab required us to go through a live training with a lab representative to learn proper handling and care of the autoclave.

Who is responsible for biological safety at your institution?

BioSafety is all handled by the Division of Research Safety or DRS. As long as it is BioSafety Level 1, our lab, The Institute of Genomic Biology, has no concerns and just requires us to take training through the DRS. The training for the DRS includes online presentations to teach us safety techniques. These presentations are followed by online quizzes that test what we have learn to earn certification. The certification enables us usage of the lab.

The Organisms and Parts Used

Species Name

Risk Group

Disease Risk to Humans?

Part Number/Name

Natural Function

Acquisition?

Use

Pseudomonas CBB1

1

No

Caffeine Dehydrogenase

Iowa Research

Breakdown Caffeine

Lactobacillus WCFS1

1

No

Host

Contain Dehydrogenase

UIUC Dr. Ting Lu

Fermentation of Yogurt

TOP10 E. Coli

1

No

Host

Test for Lactobacillus

UIUC Todd Freestone

Testing for Successful Transformation

Project Risks

Since PCR is being used to characterize parts, ethidium bromide is highly carcinogenic. However, the usage of gloves renders the potential threat harmless. The strains of bacteria are all non-virulent, so if ingested will cause mild inconvenience. The strains of bacteria used are non-virulent and possess no ability to harm the general public. There might be a slight inconvenience with lactobacillus that will give a feeling of bloating and mild gas.

The bacteria strains could potentially cause cross contamination, but since the nature of our experiments is to degrade caffeine/theobromine it would cause little impact on the environment. Since the project involves the usage of yogurt, the bacteria could be spread through yogurt, however there would be no way to make it harmful. Proper handling of the bacteria and proper disposal is crucial to prevent these risks. Additionally, proper attire and protective gear will prevent risks towards team members and staff. Also the usage of biosafety level 1 bacteria prevents us from coming in contact with anything harmful.